


Suffering in Silence

by ArtistAtHeart1



Category: DCU, Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Support, Epic Friendship, Fic Rewrite, Friendship, Gen, Hal Jordan being a friend, Hal Jordan to the rescue, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kyle Rayner-centric, Protective Hal Jordan, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2019-11-26 09:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18179108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtistAtHeart1/pseuds/ArtistAtHeart1
Summary: Hal finds out about the incident with Bueno Excellente and wants to help Kyle through the lingering trauma.  His approach maybe a little aggressive at times, but his heart is in the right place.Rewrite/Updated version of Cry for Help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cry for Help](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15855645) by [ArtistAtHeart1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtistAtHeart1/pseuds/ArtistAtHeart1). 



> So I want to write more Green Lantern/Hal and Kyle centric stuff, but rereading Cry for Help, I thought I'd do some fixes/edits. Now don't get me wrong, I love the originally and appreciated everyone who read, commented, kudoed, adn bookmarked it. I just feel that there were some areas that I could do better. If I get enough feedback saying that this update/rewrite isn't necessary I will drop this, but for now I'm doing it.
> 
> Also, I am using the first three chapters just with some tweeks. I do like them and since there wasn't much to fix, I thought I'd use them. And I do plan on keeping the original.

Pounding on a door disrupted the usually calm halls of Oa's Green Lantern housing unit. Guy Gardner was trying to find Kyle for a light training session and possibly going for a drink after. Kyle was supposed to be there, but Guy hadn't seen him yet.

"He's not there." Kilowag stated catching Guy's attention.

"Then where is he?" Guy asked.

"Don't know. He was supposed to report here for the night about an hour ago."

Guy scoffed walking away from the door. That didn't really help him, only giving him a time frame for something he was beginning to realize. He was going to find his partner if it was the last thing he did.

Another hour passed before Guy spotted Kyle. The young Lantern appeared a little anxious, looking around cautiously as he avoided making eye contact with anyone. Something seemed to be bothering him, that much was certian, but Guy wanted to approach him first, now that he found Kyle, before getting into the details.

"Kyle!" Guy loudly called.

Kyle jumped, realizing he had been caught. His sight quickly jolted towards Guy, emerald eyes anxiously noting that Guy was getting closer. Frazzled, Kyle bolted. The gesture startled Guy, not expecting this reaction.

Guy chased him back to the housing unit. Kyle didn't look back as Guy continued to call out for him. Pulling out a key, Kyle frantically unlocked the door to his room. He snuck in and had enough time to not only shut the door, but lock it as well.

Guy's fist collided with the door, frustrated. He took a moment to process what had just happened. Kyle ran from him, which was unusual. He never ran from anyone and he never looked this troubled in a while. Kyle's behavior was suspicious and unusual, he didn't need to be told that, but more than anything, concerning.

"Kyle!" Guy called. "Open up!"

There wasn't an answer. Guy knew he heard him, but there wasn't an answer. Guy wasn't about to let himself be ignored, regardless of Kyle's silent evasion.

"Kyle!"

"Guy!" A voice called.

Guy turned his attention away from the door. He saw John running towards him, a concerned look on his face. John looked like he knew something, so maybe he could help with the situation.

"He in there?"

"Yeah." Guy confirmed. "What happened?"

"I think you'll want to sit down for this."

~

Hal landed on Oa with the intent of talking to the Guardians. He had his grievances being called there for who knew what. After how well he handled his last mission, as far as he was concerned, Hal had no reason to be there on what was supposed to be his day off. It was only made worse by the fact that Guy was the first person to welcome him.

"I need you to talk to the kid." Guy requested, getting to the point.

"Why?" Hal replied, confused.

"Kyle locked himself in his room and I can't get him out."

Hal was annoyed with the predicament. One that he's found himself involved with on more than one occasion. His annoyance wasn't directed towards Kyle specifically, just the fact that whenever Guy had a big enough "problem" with Kyle he had to get involved. There was such a thing as being around Guy too long, even for Kyle, who was a lot more tolerable towards him compared to Hal and John.

"What did you do now?" Hal accused.

"Nothing this time." Guy replied, not offended by the accusation. "He was acting strange the moment he got back."

Hal was already starting to regret listening to the complaint, but he knew he had to investigate. Clearly, whatever was going on, was something that may prove problematic. And it wasn't like Hal could avoid it now. He was involved.

"How so?"

"Well, Kyle was about two hours late to when he was supposed to report here for the night for starters. I was going to invite him to a routine training session and maybe a drink, but he hadn't shown up. When I found him, he looked frazzled. Like that time there was the rouge Red Lantern scare. Only this time it was more paranoid and frightened. I tried to approach him, but he started to run the moment he saw me. I chased after him, hoping to stop him, but he was faster. He didn't respond to vocal ques either. Ignoring me as I called his name. Heck, I couldn't even get a word out of him before he shut himself off."

That was an unusual response for the normally social young Lantern. Being social was a trait that everyone seemed to like with the kid and were accustom to. So him going silent was troubling. Not to mention that Kyle was delaying his return. Even if he were to begrudge having to report to Oa, a sentiment that he and Hal periodically shared, Kyle was known for showing up on time.

"And you don't know what happened?" Hal inquired.

"Well John came to me and confided something to me," Guy admitted, "and it isn't pretty."

Hal crossed his arms. If John knew something and had to explain it to Guy, he knew it had to be important. It had to be something serious.

"Go on."

"Apparently he was drugged and raped in Gotham."

Hal's eyes widened in shocked as he took a step back. A deep breath entered his lungs and sympathy tugged at him, as questions flooded his mind. Hal couldn't help but wonder when this happened, who had been involved, and why this happened to Kyle of all people. The fact that Kyle had been silent about it up until this point, regardless of the amount of time passing between that and now, was shocking. The fact that something had to have caused this to surface must have meant something.

"John got a call from Batman saying that he made a comment that sounded rather suspicious when he was with the League. Batman did a little digging, or as John put it light interrogating, and was surprised to find this out. Kyle didn't seem to remember a lot, but just enough for it to raise a concern."

Hal stood there in silence still trying to process what Guy had just told him. It was a lot to take in. Guy wasn't sure if that meant Hal wasn't convinced or not, but it didn't matter at the moment. Getting to Kyle was.

"He idolizes you and I know you're always looking after him." Guy stated. "He's shut me out already, so if anyone can get him to open up, it's you. I wouldn't be asking you unless I had to. I'm worried and I just want my buddy to be okay."

Hal was brought out of his train of thought, giving Guy a stern expression. He believed that this would have to be taken care of. And as delicately as possible. Guy's statement was enough for Hal to make a decision.

"I'll help."

~

Hal and Guy approached the door. John and Kilowag were huddled by the door, looking at the Lanterns. Hal pushed passed them, causing them to give him room. He knocked the door a few times, hoping to get Kyle's attention.

"Kyle, it's me." Hal greeted. "I need you to open up."

"Go away!" Kyle demanded.

The fact that Kyle talked was a good thing. However, the response wasn't the one he wanted. The anxiety in Kyle's voice was troubling. Kyle was clearly distressed about the situation, his secret being revealed probably being the major factor at the moment, and was uncomfortable with the attention he was receiving.

"I can't do that." Hal denied. "Not when I'm here to help. Can you open up?"

"Leave me alone." Kyle cried.

Hal crouched down, feeling as though that Kyle was on the ground. Kyle's troubled speech pattern told him that he did want the help, but his refusal wanted to override it. He didn't want to leave him alone.

"Come on Kyle, talk to me. If you prefer privacy, let me in and we can talk."

The conversation seemed to die as Kyle didn't respond. Shuffling was the only response he got before everything went quiet. Hal wasn't going to get any further for the time being.

Knowing this, he stood up. Turning away from the door, Hal started to walk away from the door. The move confused the others.

"What are you doing?" Guy asked.

"Clearly, he has no intention of coming out." Hal observed. "Let's leave him alone for tonight. Let him calm down a little. Hopefully, he'll settle down somewhat by tomorrow. If not, I'll have to either catch him when his guard is down or break into the room to get him."

~

The next morning only brought transparency as Kyle seemed invisible. No one had seen him, quite frankly, no one even knew if he left his room. Hal kept a keen eye out for him as Guy acted as a secondary lookout. As much as they would have liked to have John and Kilowag along to help, it felt more appropriate to keep the attention on Kyle to a minimum, and they had missions to attend to.

A blur moving through the crowd caught Hal's attention. It was Kyle, trying to sneak by. It was clear that he had managed to sneak out at one point since he was now heading for his room.

"Kyle!" Hal shouted, bolting towards him with Guy not too far behind.

The artist picked up on this and started running. Hal knew Kyle was heading for his room with the intention of locking himself inside. Hal was not about to let that happen.

"Can't let you do that." Hal stated, thinking of something to stop him fast. "You might not like me for a moment though."

"What are you doing?" Guy inquired.

A green apparition from Hal's ring shaped itself into a large hand. It lunged at Kyle, grabbing onto him right as he reached his door. With the flick of his wrist, Hal commanded the construct to bring Kyle to him. The moment Kyle reached Hal, arms clamped around him.

Kyle frantically struggled, legs kicking sporadically. With his arms restricted and his mind too alarmed to focus, it was all he had the ability to do.

"Let me go!" Kyle demanded.

Hal silently refused to listen to his demands. Kyle started to hyperventilate due to his restricted mobility and the trapped enclosure he found himself in. It was painful to watch Kyle's struggling, but he had to be contained now. Hal hated having to do this, but there was no other way he could see this going down. Thankfully, they weren't attracting too much attention as Guy monitored everyone who walked by.

Kyle's struggling began to subside and his body stopped moving. His body went limp, letting Hal know that he wasn't conscious. Hal slowly positioned Kyle into one arm and set his sights on the Guardians' chambers. Anger finally started to settle in. It wasn't directed at Kyle but it did involve his recent issue and what it was going to entail.

"I'm taking him back to my place." Hal declared, staring to move. "It's the only place I feel comfortable taking care of him and he'll be safe."

"Do you really think the Guardians will let you do that?" Guy inquired.

"When I'm done, they won't have much of a choice."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal persuades the Guardians to take Kyle home and deal with the aftermath of Kyle's assault.

"That is out of the question." Ranakar denied.

Hal wasn't in the best of moods when he entered the guardians' chamber. His anger had started to fester, as a result of his initial summoning and finding out about the trauma Kyle experienced. After pleading his case to take Kyle home to address his attack, the refusal only irked him more.

Thankfully, Kyle had not stirred once during the initial request and remained unconscious. How he managed to stay that way given how loud everyone was being was astounding, but a relief. Kyle was calmly breathing as he limply hanged in Hal's arm.

"Why?" Hal growled.

"The reason you are here is because we need you to take care of an anomaly elsewhere." Ranakar relayed.

"Well, this is more important. I can't just pushed it aside and I will take care of it."

"Absolutely not."

Hal's whole body twitched in anger. This wasn't something to be taken lightly. Nor should it be brushed aside so quickly. Kyle didn't deserve that.

"Look, I don't know how you handle this kind of situation, but from where I'm form, we don't just let a crime like this fly." Hal stated. "If not treated, there's no telling what kind of repercussions it will have."

"That may be, but there are more important things that need your attention."

That only fueled Hal's disdain. If he wasn't already regretting coming to them with this, he definitely was now. He started regretting not leaving Oa to handle this the moment he got his hands on Kyle.

"You are not going to turn a blind eye on this." Hal argued, tightening his hold on Kyle. "I won't let you. Trauma like this can't be ignored or else it'll get worse. And depending on how long he's been suppressing this, who knows when he'll explode."

Annoyance creased the lines on Ranakar's face. Hal's stubbornness was always an issue, though flattering at times. This was not one of those times. As far as Ranakar was concerned, there were more important things to take care of.

"It will have to wait." Ranakar stated. "You have a whole sector to defend. Let this go until you've finished your mission."

If Hal didn't have Kyle with him, he would fly up there and deck Ranakar. The fact that he wanted Hal to just let this go was infuriating. What was worse was that no one else seemed to disagree with him. Not even Ganthat, who thought of Kyle as a son, spoke up.

"If you don't let me take care of this, you _will_ have a Red Lantern on your hands, or worse, another pawn for Sinestro." Hal threatened. "You know they can smell an opportunity and are willing to take it. And let's not forget, he is the most emotionally spontaneous out of us and he's bottled this up for who knows how long. He will explode at any moment. Is it really worth the risk?"

His argument stirred murmurs between several Guardians. Clearly this statement got through to them. Whether it was a good thing or not could be debated, but at least they opened a dialogue.

"He has a point." Ganthet finally defended. "We cannot let this go unattended. Let us not forget that Lantern Kyle is our Torch Bearer. Our last hope. We cannot risk losing him."

"Finally, someone with an ounce of reason." Hal applauded.

"But Ganthet, we need Lantern Jordan and Rayner to investigate the recent activity of the Sinestro Corps." Ranakar lectured. "That was the whole reason we had them report here in the first place."

"But we can't risk losing Lantern Rayner because of his mental health either." Ganthet briefly looked at Hal and Kyle with sympathy in his eyes before looking back at Ranakar. "Lantern Jordan is right, he needs to be treated. Sending him out in there in his current, troubled state could lead to certain disaster."

Ranakar scoffed in annoyance. With someone now agreeing with Hal, Ganthet of all people no less, convincing the Lantern otherwise was nearly impossible. Ganthet had was a good speaker and could get people on his side if need be.

"Fine." Ranakar submitted. "You may take Lantern Rayner back to Earth to help him recuperate."

"Thank you." Hal responded, turning his attention to the door.

Hal made his way for the door. He was glad that he got the results he wanted, even if it took a long, grueling argument to do so. Now, he focus on what was important, helping Kyle.

"But know this," Ranakar warned, stopping Hal, "if anything happens to Lantern Rayner, you will be held accountable."

Hal didn't respond, not in the mood to respond, knowing he would out of spite. Saying something wouldn't prove anything. He continued to walk, not once looking back.

~

Twitching eyes began to stir, signifying that Kyle was waking up. His body subconsciously sat up as he rubbed his eyes and the comforter fell into his lap. The first thing that he noticed was that he was in his regular clothes rather than his Green Lantern uniform. Kyle anxiously jolted before he realized that his ring was on the nightstand beside him.

With that out of the way, Kyle began observing his surroundings. He didn't quite know where he was. Something about the room felt familiar, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

"Good morning." A voice greeted.

Kyle jumped, looking to the side. Hal was sitting in a chair beside him. He seemed relieved as a small smile on his face. Seeing him narrowed down Kyle's potential locations. He was at Hal's house, which thankfully meant that he was safe. That in itself was a relief.

It was in that moment that Kyle's last memory hit him, causing him to scoot back. He remembered Hal grabbing him before he passed out. Kyle was haunted by what had transpired and had a good ideas as to what Hal wanted to help him with. The urge to run surfaced as he tried to move farther away from Hal.

He got out of the bed when Hal's hand grabbed his wrist. Kyle began pulling, hoping to get his arm free. He panicked slightly when Hal's grip, not only tightened, but pulled him closer.

"You're not going to run away from this." Hal sternly admitted. "We have to talk about this."

He gave his arm one last yank before Hal's unchanged stare stopped him. Knowing that Hal wasn't going to let up, Kyle finally complied. He slowly dragged himself to the side of the bed Hal was on.

Once Kyle slung his feet over the side of the bed, Hal released him. Kyle's attention sat on his lap as he remained silent. His fingers anxiously grabbed a wad of the sheets.

"What is there to tell?" Kyle questioned. "You already heard what happened."

"I heard what Guy told me." Hal corrected. "Who was told by John, who was notified by Batman. I may have heard about what happened, but through a chain of people. I want to hear the authentic story. I want to hear it from you."

Kyle took a deep breath. His grip on the sheets tightened. Hal took note of it, gently placing a hand on one of Kyle's. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy to talk about. Kyle had to do it on his own, Hal knew he couldn't force it out of him. All he could do was patiently wait.

"Take your time." Hal calmly suggested.

"I don't remember much of the actual incident." Kyle began. "It was just meant to be a night out with the guys. Jason and Roy wanted to meet up at their regular bar and invited me along since I was in town. It was fun." Kyle grimly smirked recalling the moment. "However, when I went to get a drink while Jason and Roy played a quick round of pool everything went south." Kyle nervously bit his lip. "I step away from my drink for a moment, not wanting to break the glass as I tried to prevent a potential fight between Jason and some drunk guy." Kyle's breathe hitched. "When I broke it up, I went back for my drink." Kyle trembled. Just recalling what happened next sent a chill down his spine. "I started feeling dizzy… light headed. I thought I was feeling a little claustrophobic and thought I needed some fresh air, so I went outside. It only got worse. My sight started to blur and I felt dizzy. The next thing I knew something, or I guess I should say someone, guided me towards an alley. I blacked out shortly after, hearing the word 'bueno' over and over before I lost consciousness. I woke up in the hospital, alone, only with the satisfaction of being stared at nurses with sympathy."

Kyle went silent after that, tears swelling around the corner of his eyes. Embarrassment flooded his body and the fear of being judged plagued his mind. He knew Gotham was known for its crime, something that not only Hal, but Batman as well, always warned about, but he still went. It was intended to be a night out with friends and nothing more.

A hand carefully landed on Kyle's shoulder. Kyle looked up at Hal, who was sympathetic. He wasn't angry, not even slightly. Kyle wasn't sure if he was comfortable with it since he was expecting Hal to react differently.

"I'm so sorry." Hal attempted to comfort. "This shouldn't have happened." Hal took a puzzled breath. "How long have you been hiding this?"

"Two weeks." Kyle admitted.

Hal was stunned. The fact that he was hiding it for that long was shocking. It hadn't been longer, which he was thankful for, but two weeks was still a long and painful time to be harboring it. Whatever happen in Gotham to cause him to admit it while with the League must have really affected him.

"You must be ashamed of me." Kyle accepted returning his gaze to his lap.

Hal jolted in distress as his grip stiffened on Kyle's shoulder. There was nothing for him to be ashamed of. Why should he be?

"Why would I be ashamed?" Hal asked.

"Because this happened."

Hal's free hand gently rested on the side of Kyle's face. Kyle didn't flinch, unfazed by it. A nudge tried to get Kyle to look at him but failed.

"Look at me."

He nudged Kyle again this time successfully. Kyle looked up, making eye contact with Hal. His self loathing burned into Hal. And while it hurt Hal, he knew he had to see past it and comfort him.

"I would never be ashamed of you for something you didn't deserve."

"I am." Kyle began trembling. "I'm ashamed. Embarrassed. Afraid. I hide this from everyone because I didn't want anyone to know."

Hal brought Kyle closer, wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Kyle shuttered, not refusing the gesture. He didn't even flinch when one of Hal's hands rested on the back of his head. Tears finally began to fall as Kyle let out a small whimper.

"It's okay." Hal comforted. "It was traumatic Kyle and I don't blame you for your reaction. I would have liked to know sooner, sure, but I understand why you responded the way you did. But that's all behind us now. I know now, and I'm here to help you."

"I don't deserve your help." Kyle argued.

"You can say that all you want, but you're getting it and deep down I know you want it. The fact that you mentioned, to Batman nonetheless, it tells me that you wanted help. You may not see it, but by saying what you did, you were asking for help. Crying for it. And that's exactly what I'm here for."

Hal's words seemed to resonate with Kyle, telling him that it was okay. Kyle buried his face in Hal's shoulder. Hal smirked, glad that Kyle was opening up ever so slightly. It was going to be a process, but at least it started.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guy comes to check on Kyle.

Hal spent the rest of the morning doing a little research. With Kyle securely settled in in the guest room, comfortably wrapped in the comforter as he processed his current arrangement, it was as good of time as any. The only problem was that Hal found Kyle's silence frightening.

Kyle hadn't said much else about it since their conversation earlier and asked for some time alone. Hal wasn't sure if it was the incident itself sinking in or the fact Kyle was required to stay that caused his silence, but Hal knew it had to be one of them. It just bothered Hal that he didn't want to talk. Though at the same time, he didn't want to force anything on Kyle. He wanted the kid to talk, but he didn't want to scare Kyle.

The solitude could have had to do with talking about the incident or Kyle just wanting a moment alone. Hal didn't like the thought of giving him solitude this early in recovery, but he did want to trust Kyle with something. And that small bit of control could be something Kyle needed.

Kyle agreed to stay, and that meant a lot, but that didn't mean Hal wasn't cautious about it, given Kyle's previous reactions. He had Kyle's ring with him for the moment and because of that, Hal was certain that he wouldn't disappear without him knowing.

Hal checked on Kyle after about an hour and found that Kyle had fallen asleep. With that in mind, Hal took a step onto the back patio to get a little fresh air. He couldn't complain about the weather. It was sunny and the wind lightly brushed through.

"I thought I told you I had this handled." Hal reminded.

Guy was hovering above him, a curious grin on his face. It wasn't surprising that Hal noticed him sol quickly. Though Guy had hoped to surprise them.

"I know, but I wanted to check up on you guys." Guy stated, landing in front of Hal.

"And you couldn't wait more than a day because…?"

"I want to know how well he settled in. The first day is usually the hardest."

Hal nudged towards the house, inviting him in. Guy took the offer, following him in. Hal offered him a chair in the kitchen, which he accepted. They both took a seat on opposite ends of the table. The silence and absence of another individual Hal's guest was curious.

"Where is our little bud?" Guy inquired, leaning back on the chair with an arm on the back.

"Asleep in the guest bedroom." Hal filled on.

Guy's attention found the general direction of the room before looking back at Hal. He didn't know if sleeping was the best thing, but at least he wasn't screaming and locking himself away.

"What's the prognosis?" Guy inquired.

"So far, I got him to tell me what he remembers," Hal filled in, "which includes what led up to the assault, him blacking out, and when he woke up. He's scared of what happened, which is to be expected, but he's also ashamed that he 'let it happen'."

Guy stiffened at that comment, sitting forward. Fault didn't fall on Kyle. Not only because Kyle didn't deserve it, but because Guy knew that this was not something Kyle intended to have happen. He was almost certain that Hal shared that sentiment.

"He's not at fault." Guy confirmed

"That's what I told him," Hal admitted, "but he said it and that's what he believe. At least at this point."

Hal sighed remembering it as he rubbed his eyes. The comment still hurt, especially since Kyle thought Hal was ashamed with him. However, he wasn't going to tell Guy that because that was between him and Kyle.

"Why do you think he responded so slowly?" Guy asked.

"I called up a few different experts to get some answers, keeping his identity as anonymous as possible." Hal began. "From what I could gather, he more than likely went numb. His lack of response for the last two weeks…" Guy's shock was instantly picked up, "yes two weeks was because he was in denial and numb towards the event. He's confused and what he remembers is a surreal experience to him. With him making the revelation in front of the head league members, it's finally settling in, and with it all of the emotions and trauma he's been suppressing."

The explanation sounded reasonable enough. Guy couldn't complain that Hal at least did some investigating either. He was going to need it while handling this

"What's your plan for fixing it?" Guy inquired.

"I'm going to be what he needs." Hal stated. "I'm going to act as his therapist all the while being the friend he needs. I want him to be comfortable and heal."

"And what are you going to do about the culprit?"

"Haven't gotten that far yet."

Aggravated eyes shot at Hal. Guy was alarmed by Hal's statement. He had everything else figured out, so why not that?

"Don't you want to get him justice?" Guy inquired, standing up. "Find out who did this and make sure they never do this again?"

"Of course I do." Hal admitted. "If I could, I would find who did this and beat the shit out of them, but I can't subject him to that. Not right now. He doesn't need that kind of attention right now. Not that he want the attention. I want him to feel safe before I even consider thinking about putting him through a trial."

A cry disrupted their conversation. When Kyle's ring levitated and started tapping on the door, Hal burst from his seat. Guy wasn't too far behind. He grabbed the ring before bursting through the door.

Kyle was awake, sitting up with his face in his hands. His trembling was a clear sign of a nightmare. Even without a visual on his eyes, Hal could tell that Kyle was crying. Hal sat on the bed, hands grabbing Kyle's shoulders. Kyle yanked away, the contact unconsciously discomforting to him.

Hal didn't let that stop him, grabbing his shoulders again. Kyle tried to squirm away, but Hal's grip made it impossible. Hal's thumbs gently circled around Kyle's shoulders in an attempt to soothe him.

"It's okay." Hal comforted. "It's over. Do you think you can look at me?"

Slowly, Kyle followed his request, moving his hands away from his face. They fell to his side and grabbed the blanket. His eyes were rimmed with red irritation and his face was damp from the tears.

"Nightmare?" Hal assumed.

Kyle nodded as more tears began to form. This kind of conversation seemed to be the only one he wanted to make at the moment. That just meant that Hal would have to have his questions be answered with yes or no until Kyle actually talked.

"About your rape?"

Kyle nodded again.

"Were you able to remember who did it?"

Kyle shook his head. Tears lightly streaked down his face.

"No." Kyle denied. "Just a shadowy figure repeating Bueno while they did it. I'm sorry."

Kyle's eyes poured out tears in droves causing them to streaked down his face. Kyle hated not knowing who did it, just as much as he hated that it happened. It made him fell useless. Weak. Hal brought Kyle in for a hug. He didn't say anything, allowing Kyle to settle down in silence.

Guy sympathized with Kyle and was heartbroken to see him like this. Though to be frank, he had never seen Kyle like this before and he hated it now that he had. Guy took a step closer, hoping to reach out to him. Kyle saw this, but rather than staying calm, he tried to squirm away from Hal. Guy stopped and Hal managed to get Kyle to calm down.

"Now do you see why I can't subject him to that?" Hal asked. "If he doesn't want you, someone that he trusts quite well, what makes you think he'll want to be in front of anyone about this?"

"I'm sorry." Guy apologized.

Hal sighed. Guy's intentions were honorable, so he couldn't be too upset with him. It was just frustrating that this was a reaction that Kyle was going to have with someone he knew.

"It's not your fault." Hal forgave. "I know you want what's best for him, and that you want to comfort him, but now you see why I need to do this alone." Hal glanced down at Kyle. "He didn't mean to try to shy away. He's just scared."

Guy observed Kyle. He seemed calmer physically, but his eyes were full of guilt and fear. It was clear that Kyle wanted to apologize, but he couldn't. 

Guy wanted to tell him it was okay. That everything would get better. But now wasn't going to be the time. But thankfully, he was safe. Hal proved that he was going to do everything he could to help. That was what really mattered.

Unfortunately, Guy couldn't stay any longer. As much as he would like to, the visit was meant to be a short one before he had to report back to Oa for his next mission. He took one more step towards them. While Kyle wasn't too comfortable with it, he didn't react.

"Take good care of him." Guy requested.

"I will." Hal promised.

Guy's attention fell on Kyle. He still refused to speak, but he was giving Guy his attention.

"It's going to be okay." Guy confirmed. "You've got the best guy to help you."

With that, Guy turned away, excusing himself from the situation. He walked through the house leaving the same way he came. He was hopeful that everything would be okay, but Kyle's reaction stung. Hal was going to have to take good care of him if Guy was going to believe that everything would be okay.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal takes Kyle to an art museum in the hopes it will raise his spirits and John visits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This combines chapter 4 and 5 of Cry for Help. I wanted to add the art museum journey and John's visit. Sorry for the longer wait. Was trying to think of what I wanted to add.

Hal finally managed to pry Kyle out of the guest bedroom. After spending an entire day in there, Hal knew he had to get him out. Not to mention Kyle hadn't really eaten much, which Hal was thoroughly concerned with. Kyle looked pretty healthy at face value, but he was starting to show signs of getting thinner, which was probably due to the stress he was under the last few days. This prompted Hal to make him a hearty breakfast. Hal made up eggs, toast, and bacon for the both of them with coffee.

Kyle didn't really speak much, which Hal didn't take offense to. The change was still sinking in. Kyle was eating and that was a good thing. Hal knew that he had to be patient with Kyle since he was finally letting everything sink in.

"So I was thinking that we could go to the art museum later." Hal suggested, trying to prompt a conversation. "I hear they have a wildlife painting exhibit this week."

Hal was trying to find something to excite him, and after doing some research, thought that the art museum was a good idea. He thought that it could get Kyle's mind off of things and let him experience art, the expression he loved most. If Hal could just get him out, maybe Kyle could feel some level of normality and hopefully open up a little.

Unfortunately, Kyle almost seemed uninterested. He simply stared at his plate as he ate. It was depressing that Kyle didn't light up, even slightly, about the opportunity to enjoy something he loved. 

Hal decided to change it to something else. And as much as he hated to bring up the topic, Hal thought that talking about Kyle's assault might take some weight off of Kyle's shoulder. He grabbed one of Kyle's wrists, hoping to get Kyle's attention.

"Would you like to talk about how you're doing?" Hal asked. "It could be about the… incident, or about how you're feeling today."

Kyle didn't immediately answer. Shame remained active in his eyes.

"It was meant to be taken as a joke." Kyle quietly admitted.

That was a cold surprising. Hal couldn't believe that Kyle would say something like that. That he went in treating it like it was something to laugh at. It wasn't right.

"What do you mean?" Hal asked.

"When I brought it up, we were talking about this guy who I kind of meet and worked with in Gotham. He was a hitman and Batman was a little upset, wondering if I knew what he did and his work in Gotham." Kyle grimly smirked. "In an attempt to lighten the mood, I tried to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal. It's Gotham. Sure, I may have been drugged, but you know, it's Gotham. A lot of crazy things go on in Gotham, so why not try to pass it off as a humored jab at the city?"

That stung. The fact that Kyle wanted to pass it off as a joke was unbelievable, but trying to blame it on the known levels of crime in Gotham was horrifying. Hal wanted to deny that it was meant to be a joke, certain that Kyle wanted help. Hal was not about to let Kyle use that as an excuse. It was a poor, self-deprecating excuse made only to make Kyle feel like it was nothing.

"That was your first mistake." Hal stated. "What happened to you wasn't a joke, and shouldn't be treated as such. You were horribly abused. Taken advantage of when you were unable to defend yourself. Your second mistake was saying that in front of the World's Greatest Detective. You and I both know he wouldn't let something like that slide especially since, you know, he lives in Gotham. Do you really thing he wouldn't investigate it?"

Kyle didn't try to argue with Hal's statement. He wanted to, but couldn't think of something to argue with. And regardless of whether Kyle wanted to agree with Hal or not, he knew there was no point arguing. Emerald eyes finally met brown eyes.

"People care about you Kyle." Hal reminded. "Don't forget that."

The warm smile on Hal's face spoke to Kyle. It was trying to make him feel better. While it might not have completely absolved all of the pain, it did help Kyle feel a bit better.

"Can we go to the art museum?" Kyle asked.

Hal proudly grinned. It was nice to see Kyle trying. And while it could go one of a few ways, getting Kyle out of the house might be what he need.

"Of course."

~

Kyle hadn't left Hal's side for the entire walk. And every time someone got too close for comfort, he scooted closer to Hal. It was an expected gesture, but Hal hoped that it would eventually diminish.

Kyle's face lit up the moment they entered the building. It didn't take long for him to feel like he was in his element. That alone put a smile on Hal's face. Seeing asmile on Kyle's face was a gift.

Hal dragged him to the painting exhibit. The collection of different themes took Kyle's attention. However, the area that caught his attention the most was the astronomy collection. He seemed engrossed by it, the more starry based pieces really taking his interest. Be it because of his other, more adventurous life or some sort of artistic preference, Hal will never know.

Unfortunately, this joy didn't last. As more people entered the museum, Kyle started to shake. Claustrophobia began to set in and and his breathing got heavy. Their chatter grew louder and Kyle started to feel trapped.

Hal quickly noticed, throwing an arm around Kyle in attempt to comfort him. Kyle pulled away from Hal, tripping and accidentally bumping into another person. Kyle flinched, quickly stepping away from the man. In his hand was an empty cup with the remnants of what appeared to be soda on his shirt.

"Who do you think you are?" The man rudely asked.

"I'm sorry." Kyle apologized.

"Yeah, you're gonna be."

A fist smacked Kyle's face, hitting him right on the cheek. He stumbled back in shock. Everything froze as everyone else looked at the unfolding scene.

Hal was instantly by Kyle's side, inspecting him. He asked Kyle if he was okay as he did. Kyle didn't say much, but thankfully he didn't seem to be in a lot of pain. However, there was a red mark on his face that would definitely bruise. that was enough for Hal to lose it. Hal turned his attention to the man, rage in full force.

"You're going to regret that." Hal threatened.

"What are you going to do about it?" The man asked.

A fist flew at the man, hitting his face with enough force to make his nose bleed. The man took a step back. But before he could retaliate, Hal grabbed the man's collar and pinned him to the wall.

"You want to know what I hate?" Hal inquired. "People like you, who thinks it's okay to attack someone over an accident. Not to mention someone who's about to to have a panic attack. So thank you for that added trauma."

"Hal." Kyle sighed, trying to suppress his anxiety.

Emerald eyes pleaded for Hal to stop. Hal released the man and approached Kyle. He didn't want to cause Kyle anymore distress. He grabbed Kyle's arm and lead him in another direction.

~

Hal and Kyle entered Hal's house in silence. Neither one had said a word on the way home. Having been politely asked to leave, even with the people who witnessed the event defending them, Hal had to excuse them from the premises. The drama wasn't worth it and Kyle was having a panic attack.

"I'm sorry." Hal apologized, putting his keys away. "This was supposed to be a nice day out to lift your spirits, but it was ruined by one lousy person."

Kyle sat in the living room in silence, slouching forward. Hal soon joined him. It was sad to see Kyle in such a state.

"I shouldn't have asked to go out." Kyle regretted. "I ruined a perfectly good for you because of my minor panic attack."

"Don't say that." Hal requested. "You deserved to get out. You might not have been quite ready to be around so many people, but you deserved to get out."

"I guess."

Hal wrapped around Kyle's shoulders. His hand firmly gripped Kyle's shoulder.

"Come here." Hal requested, pulling Kyle over.

Kyle didn't argue, find it a little reassuring. He allowed himself to relax, taking in the smell of Hal's cologne.

"For a brief moment I saw an artist happily absorbed in his element." Hal stated. "I saw happiness. I want to see you like that more, and in time, I know you will."

Kyle appreciated the kind words from Hal. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like being there. He was just overwhelmed. Kyle wormed away from Hal, getting off the couch. He slowly dragged himself towards the guest bedroom. Hal watched him noticing that he stopped at the door.

"Thanks."

~

Hal surprised him with several artistic gifts. A sketchpad, pencils, several paints, and even a few canvases were present to Kyle. Kyle instantly felt guilty for being presented with such a kind gift, wanting to generously deny the gesture, requesting that Hal take it all back. However, Hal refused to take his fluttered rejection, claiming that Kyle deserved to have something nice. Argued that Kyle deserved something to make him happy and have a semblance of normality.

Kyle eventually caved, persuaded by Hal's determination and unwavering generosity. A pencil gracefully sketched around the blank sheet of paper in front of Kyle. With him focused on his new project, Hal took the opportunity to excuse himself. He knew he wasn't going to be of use to Kyle. Hal exited the room so Kyle could do his thing on his own. He took a seat at the table, getting back to a familiar visitor. John. "Thank you." Hal thanked. "I really think this could help him." "Anything for the kid." John replied with a grin. "How is he?" Hal looked at his coffee mug. He wished he had something good to tell. However, he knew John would be a little more level headed than Guy about it. 

"Hurt. Confused." Hal listed. "I'm still trying to get him to open up." Hal looked at the door and back to John. "I wouldn't be opposed to you seeing him, but as I'm sure you've heard, he already tried to run away from Guy. And after he got punched by that guy at the art museum, he probably doesn't want to deal with anyone but me right now."

John gave him a startled look. Without much context, Kyle getting punched by some random pedestrian seemed unusual. Especially with Kyle's typically friendly and good natured personality.

"I tried to get him out of the house." Hal explained. "Took him to an exhibit at the art museum in an attempt to cheer him up. Unfortunately, he got a little antsy and when he tried to vacate the room, he accidentally bumped into a guy, who punched him."

"That's awful." John noted.

"I know. Not to mention it doesn't help with his depression."

It was a depressing thought. And while Hal was still trying to get a grasp of how he should handle the situation, he felt defeated.

"This isn't your fault." John consulted. "You're heart was in the right place, albeit a little too soon. At least you're thinking about things that could make him feel better."

"True." Hal admitted.

The sound of falling items paused their conversation. Knowing it came from Kyle's room, they both bolted towards the room. Giving John a gesture telling him to stay out of the room, Hal opened the door.

The room was in slight disarray. While the canvases and paints were neatly placed, crumpled papers littered the desk and floor. In the corner, Kyle was balled up, face hidden by his arms. He was motionless, deflated, too out of it to notice the door open. Hal quietly approached him, slowly sliding down beside him. He sat with his knees up, watching Kyle.

"I'm done." Kyle sighed.

Kyle unfolded a crumpled up piece of paper in his hands. It held a sketch of Kyle balled up on the ground. Around him nothing but darkness as hands reached out for him. Kyle unwrapped another, showing himself lying on his back as dark strings wrapped around him. Some aiming for sensitive areas as though projecting where Kyle imagined he was tainted.

All Hal had to do was glance at John for him to get the picture. It was sickening. Hal hated seeing Kyle's talent focused on something so tragic. Even if it did give him an outlet to release his angst. Hal hoped that Kyle would have tried to stray away from it.

"I can't stop projecting my trauma." Kyle cried. "It plagues me. Haunts me. I don't even want to create anything because of it."

Hal knew it was the depression talking. Granted the incident was traumatizing and Kyle needed time to heal. Kyle was still trying to grasp what happened with what little memory he had, as well as the sinking feeling he had as a result of finally coming to terms with it. However, that didn't mean that Hal believed that Kyle should drop his talent because of it. Hal wrapped an arm around Kyle's shoulders as he thought of something to say. It had to be sympathetic, but firm. He had to talk Kyle out of his broken spirit. 

"Don't say that." Hal requested. "You have a gift and it shouldn't be dropped because of this." Hal recalled something that might help. "Plus, I'd miss your weekly blogs too much."

"You like those?" Kyle asked, turning his head towards Hal.

"Yeah. It definitely makes the Corp a lot more colorful. My favorite piece has to be _Rampaging Rhino_."

Kyle genuinely chuckled, recalling the piece. It was of a Kilowag inspired rhino chasing after a red squirrel. Even John smirked at the memory of it.

"Wasn't that inspired by your initiation?" Hal recalled.

"Yeah." Kyle confirmed. "Guy tried to convince me to do an 'initiation dare', saying how every newbie did it. Mine was to steal Kilowag's ring and put it in your room so that he would go after you. But I chickened out at the last minute…"

"And Kilowag bolted after Guy for trying to taint the new guy and attempting to prank a senior member." Hal finished. "He sent Ch'p sky high in the process. Poor guy."

They both laughed spontaneously at the memory. Hal grabbed the crumpled up papers out of Kyle's hand. Hal's expression settled, giving both pieces another look.

"Promise me you won't let this stop you." Hal requested. "Rather, let these be a stepping stone."

Kyle glanced at him with uncertain eyes.

"I'll try."

John cleared his throat, getting both of their attention. His smirk was gone and seemed to have something on his mind.

"Sorry to break up the nostalgia party, but I've got to go." John stated.

"Okay." Hal replied, turning to Kyle for a moment. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Yeah." Kyle accepted.

Hal stood up and exited the room. He closed the door almost all the way. Neither said anything until they were a few steps away. Hal had something he wanted to ask before John left.

"Do you think a case would be a good thing for him?" Hal asked.

"Why do you ask?" John replied, not surprised by the inquiry.

"Guy brought it up when he was here." Hal stated with a shrug. "Personally, I want him to get justice, but I don't know if I could put him though that. I just thought I'd ask. Get another opinion."

John leaned against the table. He understood the dilemma Hal found himself in. It was something to discuss and take into consideration. However, John didn't think that Guy should have brought it up this soon, justifiably concerned or not.

"First of, it's too soon to consider something like that." John stated. "But since you're asking, I think that should be up to him." He sympathetically looked at the door. "I'm not saying that I don't think he should get justice, but if he'd prefer to deal with this without a trial, I don't see a problem with that. I think you'r qualified to handle the home therapy. Plus, as much as I hate to say it, I have my doubts that Kyle was this mysterious predator first victim. Or their last." John sighed. "I'd definitely look into it to get him some closure, but I wouldn't force him into something that you both will regret. At the end of of they day, it's really up to him to decide. Though finding closure is definitely a step in the right direction" That was all John had on the situation. It was enough to give his thoughts without swaying Hal one way or another. Eyeing the door, John reminded himself that he had to leave. 

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to report back to home base." John reminded. "Guy wants a full report of our buddy." John approached the door, turning back with a smug grin. "Oh, and Sinestro sends his regards. He was really upset that you ignored him."

Hal chuckled. The image of Sinestro upset by the fact that Hal wasn't lured to him was a wonder. Then there was the Guardians. He could see Ranakar whining about Hal's absence and Ganthet making sense of it. Not that Hal planned to leave Kyle in his current state if his life depended on it either way. He knew that the Sinestro Corps issue was in good hands when John stepped in.

"Of course." Hal accepted. "Probably thinks he's too important to be ignored."

John chuckled, opening the door. That wasn't entirely wrong. John glanced at Kyle's door one last time.

"Protect our little solider."

"I will."

With that, John left Hal leaving a glowing green light in his wake. Hal was thankful. John seemed understand the situation, not overstepping his boundaries. He also was a little more patient, giving it a few days before inquiring. Unlike Guy, who initially wanted immediate results. John also gave him some needed insight. This was the early stage of Kyle's recovery, so making a final decision was going to have to wait. Hal was just glad to have a well rounded approach for it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyle has another nightmare.

Hal spent several hours of the night trying to do some research from his laptop. He wanted to at least try to find something about Kyle's assault, or anything similar around the same time. He wasn't having much luck as Gotham cases seemed to blend together. It was clear that he wasn't going to get far with it at face value. However, it wasn't like he had the resources to dig deeper, and Hal wasn't ready to make _that_ call yet. So all he could do was try and hope for the best.

A scream disrupted his thought, scaring him. He knew exactly what it was and who did it as he bolted towards Kyle's room. He slammed the door open to find Kyle on the ground curled up in the corner. He was shaking and buried his head was buried in his knees.

Hal slowly approached Kyle, kneeling in front of him. A hand reached out for Kyle, lightly tapping his shoulder. But the moment it touched him, Kyle pulled away.

"Don't touch me!" Kyle hissed.

"It's me." Hal reminded, trying to grab him.

He tried to grab Kyle again, only for him to avoid him. Hal wasn't sure if he should be annoyed or concerned with his response. Hal was ashamed of the former, knowing that he shouldn't be, even if he wanted to get his attention to calm him down. That made the latter more logical. Kyle dragged himself into the corner in an attempt to get away.

"Don't touch me." Kyle repeated. "Don't touch me. Don't touch me!"

"Kyle!" Hal yelled.

He grabbed Kyle's shoulders and dragged him closer. Once close, Hal grabbed Kyle's face with both of his hands, and forced Kyle to look at him. Emerald eyes were foggy and distressed. He was looking at Hal with disoriented confusion. He tried to squirm out of Hal's grip, as though he saw him as a threat. When he couldn't get out, Kyle's eyes watered as his arms went to protect his sensitive areas.

"Let me go Parallax." Kyle cried.

Hal was stunned that Kyle said that. It was clear that Kyle had a nightmare, but Hal was wondering why Kyle brought up Parallax. Was Kyle replacing the lack of identity with his abuser? And if that was the case, did that mean that Kyle envisioned a Parallax possessed Hal violate him? It was a terrible thought. Depressing actually. Hal knew it wasn't intentional and that should have been enough, but it hurt knowing that Kyle had managed to picture that.

"Kyle." Hal sighed, pulling the younger Lantern into a soft embrace. "You're safe here."

It took a moment for Kyle to realize what was going on. And when he did, he began to cry. Realizing what he hallucinated and the arms he found himself in, he felt ashamed for his reaction. Hal was here and he wasn't possessed. But Kyle still pictured him like that in his nightmare and that in itself was awful.

"I'm sorry." Kyle apologized.

"It's okay." Hal accepted, tightening his embrace. "Parallax will not get you. Nor will your attacker."

Hal continued to hold Kyle as he calmed down. He could feel Kyle's breath calm. When he seemed at peace, Hal picked Kyle up and put him back in bed. Hal covered Kyle, sitting there for a moment as he watched Kyle begin to doze off.

Hal stood up, thinking that Kyle was calm enough to go back to sleep. He didn't know if there was anything else he could do with Kyle falling asleep. Shaken, Kyle grabbed Hal's sleeve.

"Please don't go." Kyle whispered.

Hal smirked. Of course Kyle would want him to stay. He was Kyle's only comfort after all. Sitting back down, Hal placed a hand on Kyle's head.

"Okay." Hal agreed.

~

Emerald eyes squinted before opening up. A stretch signaled Kyle's awakening. As he rolled over he was startled to find that he wasn't the only one on the bed. Hal was asleep, lying on the top of the covers with his arm resting on Kyle. Kyle slowly tried to squeeze his way out of Hal's arm, but all that did was stir him from his slumber.

"Good morning." Hal greeted as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I was going to go back to my room after you fell asleep, but I guess I was too tired to."

"It's okay." Kyle sighed, sitting up. "I just wasn't expecting you to still be here."

"Well you did ask me to stay."

The room went silent. Hal's mind wandered back to what brought him to the room in the first place. Kyle curled up, hugging his knees.

"Would you like to talk about your nightmare?" Hal asked.

"Do I have to?" Kyle asked. "It was the same as the last one. What else is there?"

There was more to it, and Kyle knew it. He just didn't want to admit it. It was the same dream, so he didn't see a reason to explain a subconscious detail.

"From what I can gather, you did visualize me possessed by Parallax." Hal recalled.

"I may subconsciously be afraid of you as Parallax." Kyle admitted. "I know you were possessed, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't scare me." Kyle's hands locked together. "I'm so traumatized by this, and the lack of memory, that I must be letting myself using you as an outlet." Kyle briefly thought about it. "You were holding me down and yellow appendages were having'fun'."

Kyle leaned against Hal with guilt. His movement was countered with Hal wrapping a hand around his shoulders. Hal didn't say anything, knowing that Kyle's dream was out of fear.

"I know you would never do that." Kyle admitted. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Hal accepted. "It was just your brain toying with you. No offense taken, bud."

Hal looked outside. The sun was shining and a light breeze could be seen brushing through the trees. It was a perfect day to do something.

"You want to go for a walk?" Hal suggested. "It is a nice day, and I'll be the only one with you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal and Kyle bond and new evidence comes to life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to add a bit of chapter 6 from Cry for Help. I kind of realized with the whole walk idea, I used that in there was well and thought I'd change it up a bit.

Kyle took Hal's offer with reluctant enthusiasm. Thankfully, the neighborhood was vacant enough for Kyle to feel comfortable outside, which was what he was really worried about. The only people out were some of the neighbors. They glanced over curiously, since they weren't too familiar with the troubled artist. Kyle enjoyed it, taking in the sights and sounds, while Hal kept an eye out for any potential threats. 

They keep their conversations simple. Kyle share art projects he was working on. One of which was a bat attacking a hoard of mosquitoes, in reference to Batman's annoyance with Guy. He had seen Guy being really obnoxious towards Batman, which was what inspired it. Hal chuckled at the thought. He knew he could bother the big bad Bat every now and then, but even he could admit that Guy was the worst out of them annoyance wise.

Eventually, Kyle opened up about some of his troubles with his rape. He reiterated his fear and misery, claiming that he had been suffering from nightmares since the incident. They were sporadic at best, but they have been plaguing him a lot as of late. It was good to know as it gave Hal something to file in the back of his mind for later. At least the walk gave them both some space to vent.

~

Hal was continuing his research well into the night. He was going to find something. A small shuffle caught his attention, causing Hal to look up. Kyle was anxiously standing in the door way.

"Another nightmare?" Hal assumed.

Kyle nodded. He was clearly frustrated. Anxious, but frustrated. Hal could tell that Kyle didn't like having them and wanted them to go away. However, Hal knew that Kyle was finally processing what happened and healing was going to be a work in process. "I'm sorry." Kyle apologized. The fact that Kyle felt the need to apologize made it worse. Especially since Hal believed he didn't need to. Hal closed his laptop and offered Kyle a seat next to him, which he accepted as he slowly took it. Kyle was silent, uncertain as to what he should say. A hand landed on Kyle's, helping him find the words.

"What did I do wrong to deserve this Hal?" Kyle asked.

Hal's grip tightened slightly. He was offended for Kyle. Offended that Kyle believed that about himself.

"You did nothing wrong." Hal lectured. "Nor did you deserve this."

"But if I hadn't gone out, this wouldn't have happened. I should have listened to your warnings. I should never had gone to Gotham."

Hal recalled those warnings. Outside of necessity, he didn't want anyone going to Gotham, Kyle especially, since he was the youngest. Sure, Kyle had made friends who hang around Gotham, like Jason Todd, but he never trusted the city. Though, that didn't mean Hal didn't want Kyle to enjoy himself from time to time.

"You deserve to have a life outside of the Green Lanterns, Kyle." Hal admitted. "You should be able to hang out with friends in peace."

Kyle didn't argue that. He didn't have the energy even if he wanted to. Hal got up and went to the cabinet and grabbed a few mugs. He poured coffee into one and in another he prepared a hot chocolate, knowing that Kyle wasn't much of a coffee fan.

Hal returned to the table with the warm drinks in hand. The reddish glow in the distance, he could tell that neither one was going back to sleep at that point. Kyle took his mug shooting Hal a thankful glance.

"Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Hal asked, taking a sip of coffee. "Anything that I can help you with?"

Kyle took his time taking a big sip of his drink. He was a little uncomfortable with the inquiry, but knew he shouldn't be rude.

"Will I ever get over it?" Kyle quietly asked.

Hal wasn't entirely expecting that to be the first thing Kyle would ask. It wasn't too out of the ordinary, but it was a surprise. All he had to do was be honest.

"I wish I can say that you would, but I can't." Hal admitted. "Sure, I know it'll get easier for you to handle, and the emotional pain of it may subside, but I don't it's something that will completely go away."

Kyle sighed. It wasn't exactly the answer he was hoping for, but it was something. He looked at Hal, who patted him on the shoulder.

"However, this is a start."

~

As Kyle took a long needed shower, Hal flipped through channels. They had spent the day doing several different activities. Hal managed to convince Kyle to have lunch with him at a local diner that Hal loved growing up. He was suspicious of his surroundings, not surprising, but Kyle did enjoy the food and the experience. It was followed up by a small hiking trip and a flight in one of the planes Hal's father once rode. It was enough to wear them both down enough to order carryout for dinner since neither one had the energy to cook.

Nothing really appealed to Hal. Reruns, the weather, and sports didn't catch his interest. It wasn't until he passed a news story dropping the word Bueno that Hal stopped surfing channels. He was shocked and curious, and as luck would have it, it was a story from Gotham.

"If you don't mind me asking, is there anything you'd like to share?" The reporter asked a young blonde.

"He was a heavy set man saying only Bueno." The woman replied. "I was at the bar with some friends and felt uncomfortable with how he was watching us. So I left the bar, but not before taking a picture of him."

The news reporter turned his attention to the camera. The image, from what Hal assumed was taken from the girl's camera, appeared in the corner. He looked just like the woman had explained it. A heavy set man, with dark hair. His face expressed lust and malice as it pointed directly at the camera.

"If you see this man report it immediately." The reported cautiously recommended. "There have been reports that he has assaulted several victims and he must be stopped. This is Vicki Vale reporting from Downtown Gotham. Back to you Bob."

Something collided with the floor causing Hal to twitch. He looked towards the origin of the noise to find Kyle, who was now wearing sweatpants and a green shirt, frozen in horror with a towel at his feet. Green eyes were widened, absorbing the image in front of them. He didn't say a word, too stunned to say anything.

Hal got up, slowly starting to approach Kyle. He didn't like this silence coming from Kyle. It was too unpredictable. But he knew he couldn't rush at Kyle either, knowing that it wouldn't end well.

"Kyle." Hal softly called.

Hal reached out for Kyle, only to be denied. Kyle swiftly exited the house, not even bothering to close the door behind him. Hal wasn't too far behind, slamming the door behind him. Kyle was in the streets with no sense of direction.

"Kyle!" Hal shouted.

Kyle ignored him, as cars honked around him. He stumbled, tripping on his own feet as a truck was driving towards him. Hal popped his ring on, conjuring up a hand shaped construct to knock Kyle out of the way in the nick of time.

Kyle landed on the other side of the street. Hal quickly bolted towards Kyle, hoping to get to him before he could react. The moment Kyle got on his feet, Hal tackled him. Kyle squirmed around in Hal's grip trying to get away.

"I need you to calm down." Hal requested.

"No." Kyle refused. "You saw the report. He's out there Hal. He has a face. I can't stand knowing that."

Kyle snaked his way out of Hal's grip, heading back to the street. A singular light aimed for him, and by the time he realized it, it was too late.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyle waked up in the hospital, Hal makes a videocall, and Kyle finds someone to talk to.

Eyes slowly opened up to the sights of a white room. The confusion and lack of company caused a frantic search of the room. Memories of a similar situation surfaced along with the anxious loneliness that came with it. A frame soon came into frame that instantly jumped.

"It's okay." Hal calmly stated, hopping from his chair and moving closer to the bed.

Kyle started to calm down. At least Hal was there.

"Where am I?" Kyle asked.

"The hospital." Hal answered. "You got hit by a motorcycle."

Kyle hissed in pain as he tried to sit up. Hal automatically went to assist him, helping Kyle sit up comfortably. Kyle quickly scanned his body, noting the bandaged around his abdomen, wondering why he was hurting.

"You have a few fractured ribs." Hal answered. "You also had a dislocated shoulder that had to be relocated."

Hal sat in silence as Kyle processed his injuries. It was something he needed to take in. As Kyle did, Hal's mind wandered to what caused these injuries. The terror, unpredictable shift, and the revelation of one cruel man's actions, exploded in a matter of minutes. What made it worse, was the fact that Kyle acted like he wanted to end it. As though the memory and the mere image of the man triggered a mental break.

"Why did you do that?" Hal anxiously asked.

Kyle's attention bounced towards Hal and noticed the worry in Hal's eyes. The concern broke him and the guilt that had began to surface didn't help. Biting his lip, Kyle mentally preparing himself.

"I'm sorry." Kyle whispered. "The moment I saw him, some of the memories started to resurface. I remember him leading me in the alley and knocking me down. I remember screaming, but I have no visual of when I did or what followed." A hand covered his eyes, tying to hide the shame and growing tears. "I didn't want to live knowing that that man did this to me."

The tears in Kyle's eyes grew. Guilt and grief battled it out. The residual trauma refused to leave and he hated being such a burden. Hal was being so supportive, but Kyle felt like his presence was nothing but troubling.

"I'm sorry Hal." Kyle apologized. "I'm trying to work on it, but I let my trauma it take over. I'm abusing your kindness and not recovering. Someone could have been hurt, if someone hasn't already, because I didn't say something sooner. I'm so selfish. You should get rid of me."

Kyle's self-loathing wasn't winning him anything. In fact, it only seemed to disturb Hal. Hal gently removed Kyle's hand and made him look at him. Kyle was still trying to suppress his tears.

"Now listen here." Hal softly ordered. "You are not selfish. Nor am I getting rid of you. If anything, I'm just sad that you felt the need to, even attempt, to end your life. We now know who did this, which means we can start moving forward. Even get you justice."

Hal carefully hugged Kyle, making sure not to crush Kyle's already hurt ribs. Kyle didn't fight it, not that he had the strength to if he did. Hal could feel his shoulder getting a little wet. A sign that Kyle took his word in from what Hal could guess.

Shuffling feet entered the room without warning. Hal glanced over to see who it was. Guy and John were anxious, processing the scene intently. Kyle curiously peered over Hal's shoulder to see their visitors.

"We came as soon as we saw the news." Guy stated, revealing why they were there.

Guy trotted over to the bed, taking residence on the other side of Kyle. When he saw the tears, he was alarmed by them. It was clear that something was troubling Kyle, but he didn't seem to optimistic to talk about it. Nor was there much context to explain what caused him to get here outside of the accident.

"Are you okay?" Guy asked.

"I'm okay." Kyle sighed, pushing away from Hal. "Finally starting to piece together what happened."

"We now know who raped him." Hal stated. "A man named Bueno Excellente."

Kyle twitched at the mention of it resulting in Hal apologetically tapping on Kyle's arm. The admission startled both John and Guy. It seemed like a good thing to learn, but it was still surprising that the individual was identified.

"It was a little overwhelming," Hal stated, "but we can finally move forward. He just has to stay here for two days before we can go forward."

Anger began to raise in Guy. It didn't take much for him to put the pieces together. His anger was mostly directed at the man even now that they knew who it was. But what really bothered him was the fact that this accident happened on Hal's watch. Guy stood up, glaring at Hal, who looked at him confused.

"You said you'd keep him safe." Guy growled.

"I am." Hal admitted, offended by Guy's implication.

"Yeah, like letting him run in the streets to hurt himself is safe."

Hal was infuriated with Guy's accusation. With everything he had been doing with Kyle, he thought he was doing well. That Kyle was, at the very least, getting comfortable and opening up. Hal stood up furious. He wasn't going to stand for Guy's angered reaction.

"You think I wanted this to happen to him?" Hal inquired. "He's still got trauma and it unpredictably fluctuates. And before you accuse me of blaming him, I'm not. I just know what's going on."

"Of course it's not his fault. He's scared. It's your fault for letting him get here." Guy accused. "You refused to get him help from the beginning. Refused to get him justice. All you're doing is holding onto him and not those needed steps."

"I want to do what's best for him Guy. I don't want to rush him into something that will traumatize him more."

"Shielding him is traumatizing him, and this incident proves that."

"I'm being up front with him. Just because I'm not actively perusing the legality of what happened at this time doesn't mean I'm shielding him."

"Enough!" John finally stepped in.

Hal caught a glimpse of Kyle's distress, clearly upset by their arguing. His hands tightly clutched the covers as eyes watched them with distress. A spike of aggression surged in Hal, hating that Kyle had to watch this and that Hal let it get this far without thinking. He had gotten so into it that he didn't even think about how it would affect Kyle.

"Get out." Hal growled.

"What?" Guy gasped confused.

"Get out!"

Kyle frantically bounced between them, uncertain about what was going to happen. John quietly approached Guy. He wasn't going to let this continue, knowing that Kyle didn't have the strength to stop it.

"We have to go Guy." John stated.

Guy stared at Hal for a few moments with annoyance before looking at Kyle. The anxious look in his eyes was enough for guilt to trickle into Guy's head. AS angry as he was at Hal, he knew he couldn't subject him to any more of this..

"Fine." Guy bitterly agreed.

Guy stormed out of the room leaving the others behind. John stayed behind, having a few thing to relay to Hal. They stared at the door briefly before turning their attentions towards each other.

"I'm sorry about that." John apologized. "He's just been concerned. We saw the news about a motorcycle accident, and with what the reporter said about everyone involved, he had to come and see him. I know neither of you wanted this."

"He needs to learn to control his anger." Hal sighed.

"What are you going to do?"

~

Hal brought up a video call while Kyle was resting in the hospital bed. It was as good a time as any to get a few things taken care of without spooking Kyle. He waiteda few seconds before the call connected, opening up to a fashionably casual Bruce Wayne.

"It's Bueno Excellente." Hal greeted.

"I know." Bruce replied. "I saw the news."

"Then you know why I'm calling."

"You want to get this investigated."

Hal snidely smirked. He wasn't surprised. He was the "World's Greatest Detective" after all.

"Of course I do. But as I'm sure you know, I am a little uncertain as how I should approach it."

"I do. Which is why I assume you called me. "

Hal rolled his eyes. This back and forth of what they knew was getting a little annoying. Bruce didn't respond to it. Instead his attention fell on the room.

"How is he?"

"Depressed. Confused. He's taking it like anyone would in his circumstance, but I have my concerns." Hal relayed. "To put it lightly, he kind of had a reaction to seeing the guy and beginning to remember a bit more of the situation. He got hit by an oncoming motorcycle and is in the hospital." Bruce shot him a puzzled glare. "He'll be fine. Physically at least. His emotions bounce, but he's definite emotions are depression and fear. I'm doing what I can to help him."

Bruce took the information in with calculated observation. He was concerned for Kyle the moment it got brought up. And while he was glad that Hal was taking an initiative with caring for Kyle and acting as an open ear, he couldn't help but have some concerns.

"The only thing I'm worried about is how I should pursue this." Hal admitted. "Guy wants me to go after the guy legally, take it to trial if I have to. John seems to think I shouldn't, believing that it will be the better option. Especially if Kyle doesn't want to pursue it. I'm somewhere in between. I would like to take this to trial, but I don't want to put through it because I know he wouldn't be able to handle it. This happened in your city and you probably know more about the legal system there. What do you think?"

Bruce

"I'm more inclined to agree with John and your argument against going to trial." Bruce stated. "Kyle's a good kid. And one of the strongest Lanterns I know. However, psychologically, I doubt he has the will to take this to trial. He's been through enough of it as is, and you're doing a good job supporting him. I'll do most of the investigating, since it did happen in Gotham and there's bound to be something. However, if you don't mind, I'd like to come by to at least see Kyle. For personal reasons and to maybe do some light questioning."

"I don't mind. You were the one to discover this after all. And as long as I'm in the room, I don't mind you doing a _light_ interview."

Bruce looked down at the keyboard and began typing. Hal curiously watched, wondering what he was doing. A ding distracted Hal, signifying that he received an email. He opened it up to see that Bruce sent him something. The email had a phone number, email and name.

"If he needs someone to talk to about it, I think he'll appreciate knowing that he has someone who can relate." Bruce stated. "I know that's not exactly a good thing to have in common, but sometimes having someone to talk to who can relate is a good thing. They'll know how to respond."

Hal read the name involved in the email and was shocked. It wasn't just the name that surprised him, but how that name related to Bruce. He looked up at Bruce hoping for some sort of explanation.

"Gotham's bad," Bruce reiterated, "there's no denying that, but I'd never recommend going to Bludhaven. Ever."

Hal appreciated the gesture. The fact that Bruce was willing to give Kyle someone to reach out to was amazing. Not to mention, it was someone Bruce knew personally. So there was no denying that it was a reliable source.

"Thank you." Hal appreciated.

"You're welcome." Bruce replied. "He's in Coast City for a few days on a case. Once he gets out of the hospital, I think it'll be the perfect opportunity to set something up."

"And when can I expect you to come by?"

"By the end of the week. I'm also bringing Jason. I know he hasn't exactly reached out as of late, but that's mostly because he wasn't sure how or when to approach Kyle."

"Sounds like a plan."

~

Kyle silently sat on the hospital bed, scrunched up in a ball. After he had a panic attack and slit his arms open, he had been monitored all night. Not only by the nurses, but Hal as well. And after a stern lecture, Kyle wasn't in a very happy.

"How are you feeling?" Hal softly greeted, bringing in breakfast.

"Alright I guess." Kyle sighed.

"Got anything you'd like to talk about?"

"Just that I'm sorry... again."

Hal morbidly chuckled. Kyle had apologized enough already. He didn't need to again.

"And I already told you," Hal reminded, "you're forgiven."

Hal pulled out a piece of paper. he had gotten it printed out not to long after hanging up from Bruce. He held it out so that Kyle could take it.

"I want you to take this." Hal offered. "I think you could use someone to talk to about this. Someone who understands what you've gone through. A friend."

Kyle grabbed the paper from Hal, inspecting its contents. After realizing whose number it was, he was a little shocked. Kyle didn't expect that this individual would be familiar with being raped. Kyle could only guess how Hal came across this information, the individual's mentor no doubt, but it was definitely an interesting discovery.

"He's going to be in town for a few days." Hal stated. "I want you to see him while he is. I trust him, and something tells me you will too. Is that okay?"

Kyle observed the paper for a few more seconds, soaking in the information he had just received. It was a little hard to swallow. The thought of talking to someone, other than Hal, about this was a little unnerving. It was hard enough trying to talk to Hal about it, or even accepting his help at times. However, if Hal was willing to give this a try, there was no reason that he couldn't. Emerald green eyes looked into brown ones.

"Yes."

~

Kyle sat in the middle of the café's outdoor dining area. It was a sunny day and the café was pretty busy. He and Hal waited until the following day, and for Kyle to be released from the hospital, before doing anything. Kyle also wanting to let it all sink in. It was a lot to take in between Hal and Guy's fight and the aftermath.

Kyle made the call and Hal dropped him off about an hour later. Hal trusted that Kyle wouldn't try to run and that the café was populated enough to provide enough witnesses if the meetup went south. All Kyle had to do was wait. He ordered a coffee as he surveyed his surroundings.

"Hey there stranger." A voice greeted.

Kyle quickly turned his attention towards the individual. It was Dick Grayson, clad in a black shirt and a pair of jeans. Kyle didn't need to say much to offer Dick a seat, who gladly took it without hesitation, ordering up a coffee for himself.

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. With what they briefly discussed over the phone, it was understandable that getting started was going to be difficult. Especially with the subject matter.

"Do you have anything you'd like to ask me?" Dick inquired, taking the first step. "Anything you want to know so that this can get a smooth start."

"Could you tell me what happened to you?" Kyle asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

Dick wasn't offended, understanding why Kyle asked that. After all, Kyle had only just found out about what happened just recently. And sometimes hearing another person's story could make it easier to digest.

"Of course." Dick agreed. "I'm sure you're curious. It's not like I talk about it much myself. So I'll start from the beginning." Dick took in a deep sighed, recalling the memory. "I had taken a girl under my wing when I got comfortable in Bludhaven. Her name is Catalina Flores. She was a cop turned rookie vigilante, taking on the name Tarantula, and I took the initiative to mentor her. Our relationship was pretty standard. We got along well enough. She was a little more aggressive than I was used to, that being based on how Batman trained me. As such, I did try to implement some of his teachings with my own, to help reign her in." Dick shook his head in disappointment before going a little darker. "One day we were dealing with a man called Blockbuster, a mob boss in Bludhaven who was smart and quite the heavy hitter. We had followed him to an abandoned building and he started making threats to expose me and go after everyone I cared for.

"We fought and I was starting to feel drained from it, but I was going to apprehend him if it was the last thing I did. However, Tarantula had other ideas. Blockbuster and I got warn down quite a bit when she pulled out a gun." Dick's eyes tightly closed for a moment. "I wanted to stop her, but I at the same time I didn't, and she shot him. Killing him instantly. I managed to muster enough strength to get out of the building and onto the rooftops before collapsing from not only the physical fatigue, but the emotional weight of not stopping her. I couldn't move. I was in shock, admitting I failed her. She approached me with less than good intentions, telling me how it was all her and how it wasn't my fault. It was then, in my weakened state that she took advantage of me, not listening to my refusal where my body couldn't defend itself. And that's my story."

Kyle absorbed the tale with horror. If hearing that this happened to Dick was bad, hearing it in detail was worse. All the fighting and the mentoring, only for his tutelage to take advantage of him was horrible.

"Would you mind telling me your story?" Dick asked.

"It's not as traumatic as yours." Kyle debated.

Dick was a little hurt by the statement. The fact that Kyle was trying to downplay what happened to him was unacceptable. Dick grabbed one of Kyle's wrists in an attempt to get his attention.

"Don't say that. Just because mine might have been a little more chaotic, doesn't mean yours was any less traumatic."

Kyle hesitated. He was still uncomfortable with talking about it, but if Dick could share his experience, then he knew he should be able to do the same.

"I was just supposed to enjoy a night out with Jason and Roy." Kyle sighed. "They do it regularly and Jason always extends me an invitation when I'm available. We always have a fun time together." Kyle's grip on his cup tightened slightly. "This time was different. I left my drink to deal with an issue. When I went back for my drink, I started to feel lightheaded, nauseous, claustrophobic. I remember, just recently in fact, walking outside to get some fresh air, only to be guided towards an alley. I blacked out to the sound of Bueno, waking up in the hospital alone. Apparently Jason and Roy dropped me off before going to do some investigate. I bottled it up for a month, ashamed and numb, only for it to slip in front of Batman."

Dick was stunned by Kyle's story. He could only imagine what it felt like to wake up with no memory of being assaulted must have been confusing and frightening. Though if there was anyone he could have slipped it to, Batman was definitely a good option.

"That's awful." Dick admitted. "It must be so troubling to live in a state of frightened uncertainty."

"It was."

Kyle sighed deeply as his eyes sank to his cup. He watched the steam rise and noted his reflection. A saddened, but relieved one at that.

"Will it ever get better?" Kyle asked.

"I wish I could say it does." Dick replied, understanding the need for relief. "I went into a downward spiral, looked into crime, and worked with Deathstroke to help train his daughter. It wasn't until I realized I had friends that wanted to help that I turned my life around. But what make you different from me is that you have people who jumped right into helping you. Because of one detective's intuition and a good friend in Hal jumping in, you're able to heal quicker than I ever was able to. It hurts and you'll always remember it. And though it will never truly go away, it will get better."

Kyle genuinely smirked at Dick encouraged speech. Though similar to Hal's, the fact that Dick was at least being optimistic was nice. At least he was being positive about it.

"Thank you."

Dick grinned, happy with their progress. He was glad to help. In situations like this, having some hope was always a positive.

"You're welcome."

A honking horn interrupted their moment. They both looked towards the noise. Hal was sitting on the curb, shooting them a waved hand.

"That's my ride." Kyle amusingly admitted, standing up.

"I guess this is goodbye," Dick noted, "for now at least."

"Yeah."

"If you ever need someone to talk to, know that I'm only a phone call away."

"Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I do plan on avoiding a case with Kyle (I fir get if I mentioned that already) and leave it to Bruce to do some investigating for him and Hal.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Jason make their promised visit. But when things seem alright, tensions boil over.

Just as promised, Bruce arrived at the house at the end of the week. Hal had prepared Kyle ahead of time, noting that it was going to be a brief visit and that Jason wanted to see him. The latter was a little more nerve racking since he hadn't seen Jason since the attack.

Greetings were promptly give and the table became a good point for a brief run down. Bruce admitted that he had a few things that he wanted to discuss with Hal.

Bruce's attention shifted to Kyle, who was a little nervous about the attention and all the bodies in the house. Having been unable to give Kyle a lot of attention, Bruce got a good look at the artist. He could tell that Kyle, though looking healthy, was troubled.

"It's good to see you Kyle." Bruce greeted, going in for an unexpected hug.

Kyle gasped, startled by the action. It was an odd gesture from the usually stoic Dark Knight, feeling out of character in Kyle's mind. Not that he was complaining. In hindsight, it gave Kyle something to brag about. Because how many people could brag about something like this.

Hal and Jason were shocked by it for the exact same reason Kyle was. However, their perspectives were a little different. Jason, though the most familiar with Bruce, was just surprised that Bruce did it. Affection from the man was a rarity. Hal, on the other hand, wasn't expecting Bruce to actually hug someone. Least of all a Green Lantern.

"I'm here for you." Bruce whispered. "You didn't deserve this, and I hope you know that you're not alone."

Kyle was thankful for Bruce's exchange, returning it. He .

"Thank you." Kyle quietly replied.

Bruce released Kyle. Kyle shot him a thankful grin, before giving Hal one. A hand landed on Kyle's shoulder, making sure Kyle gave Bruce his full attention.

"Now if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Hal alone." Bruce stated.

"Okay." Kyle accepted.

~

"I'm sorry for inviting you." Jason apologized.

He and Kyle were sitting on the floor of the guest bedroom. Neither had brought up the incident since Bruce and Jason arrived, opting instead to catch up. They even opened up a videocall with Roy, who wanted to check on Kyle. Because of that, Jason's apology felt like it came out of nowhere.

"Why are you apologizing?" Kyle asked.

"If I didn't invite you," Jason insinuated, "you wouldn't have been raped."

"It's not your fault. Neither of us knew this would happen." Kyle sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "If anything, it's probably mine."

That bothered Jason. With how comfortable Kyle was with Jason and Roy, and the usually sane mood of the bar, outside of a few fights, Jason saw no reason for Kyle to blame himself. He was among friends, and it should have been as simple as that.

"Don't say that." Jason argued.

"If I had kept a better eye on my surroundings," Kyle hypothesized, "like I had been taught whenever I was in Gotham, it wouldn't have happened."

"And how many times have you done that when we hung out after the first few outings?"

"If I may," Roy interrupted, "I'd like to emphasize that you just admitted that neither of you knew it would happen. In my experience, Gotham is a chaotic city, but it does have its good days. You were among friends, enjoying yourselves. What should have been a good time was ruined by one man. Not you Jason, not you Kyle, but one man who was so cruel as to take advantage of the situation."

Roy's words seemed to alleviate something in the duo, even though it sounded almost too foreign to be coming from the usually optimistic archer. Blame was going to be something that needed some work, but at least someone was being objective about it.

"Touché." Jason replied with an amused smirk.

"You got me there." Kyle kindly admitted. "Thank you."

Roy grinned. He was just glad that he was able to do something.

"I pray that it gets better for you," Roy hoped, "and I hope that one day you will find peace. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some combustible arrows to get back to. Don't want Oliver to confiscate them before I can finish and hide them."

"Alright," Jason accepted, "I'll talk to you later."

"See ya." Kyle finished off with.

The screen went black, ending the call. It was a good conversation, and one that they needed to have. Jason scanned the room for something to talk about.

"Mind if I see some of your artwork?" Jason inquired. "I bet you've had plenty of time to craft a few things."

"Yeah." Kyle replied with a grin. "They're not my best, but I do have something."

He got up and grabbed his sketchbook. As he sat next to Jason, he opened it up to show him what he made. Each one had a story. Mostly his attempts to expel his trauma, which made sense to a degree, but there were others. One of which was a lion protecting a deer. It was inspired by Hal's strength and willingness to defend people in need, specifically Kyle in that moment, which was what the deer represented. Another was a trio of dogs. They were happily playing. It was a testament to him, Jason, and Roy.

Jason was impressed. While he wasn't new to Kyle's talent, it was still impressive to see just how talented he was. The imagery, the colors, the story. All of it was amazing.

"You're doing great." Jason complemented.

"Thank you." Kyle accepted with a grin.

"What do you mean they lost him!?" Hal's voice boomed, startling them.

In the kitchen, Bruce relayed all of the information that he had about Bueno. That Commissioner Gordon had assigned someone to monitored him because of some suspicious tips. Everything was quite, but that didn't stop anyone from keeping an eye on him, knowing he could act at a moments notice. That moment, unfortunately, came at a terrible time. The man who was monitoring Bueno got shot blocks away from where the man was last seen, which needed to be investigated, and Scarecrow escaped Arkham, making Batman unavailable. And all of this happened the night Kyle was raped.

Hal was stunned to hear that. He could understand Batman being unavailable due to the crazies from Arkham, but hearing that the man monitoring Bueno was murdered made it worse. Both for the man's family and the ensuing dan ger. Not only that, but with him dead on the scene, there was no directing anyone in Bueno's direction. It was a lot to take in, and Hal almost couldn't believe it.

"Just that." Bruce grimly stated. "They couldn't just leave their officer in the streets without investigating."

Hal rolled his eyes. In hindsight, he knew that was reasonable, but it was the outcome that really bothered him. It was a terrible and aggravating situation.

"So they left Kyle to be assaulted?" Hal scoffed.

"Let's be realistic Hal," Bruce lectured, "how were they supposed to know that would happen?"

Hal's anger wasn't soothed by Bruce's observation. No matter how realistic. Human error and the chaos of Gotham caused Kyle to be traumatized. His anger needed an outlet. It needed a target.

"This is you're fault." Hal accused. "If you had apprehended him early on, this wouldn't have happened."

"Hal, I know you're angry, but now's not the time to cast blame on whatever you see fit." Bruce stated.

A fist bitterly slammed against the table. It stung, but it didn't alleviate Hal's pain.

"You did this to him." Hal yelled.

"Stop!" Kyle yelled.

Bruce and Hal looked at Kyle, shocked. Neither expected him to be there, listening to what they were saying. He was nervously shaking and Jason was standing behind him. Kyle was clearly disturbed by the argument.

"Kyle." Hal sighed, approaching Kyle.

Hal was about to tap Kyle's shoulder, only for the younger Lantern to flinch. He mentally called out for his ring, which came to him instantly. Kyle squirmed around Hal, running for the door.

"I need to get out of here." Kyle panicked, bolting out of the house.

"Kyle!" Hall shouted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did include a Bruce hug. If there was one thing in the second half of Cry for Help that I wanted to include, it was that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal apologizes and chaos ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I apologize for my poor fight scenes (I'm trying, it's just not my strong suit).

The air outside didn't do much to help clear Kyle's head. But it did give him the chance to get away from the increasing chaos. The argument left a bitter taste in his mind. He wan't expecting Hal to blame Bruce for the attack. The anger, sure, but not the blame.

"Kyle slow down." Hal requested, grabbing Kyle's arms.

Kyle pulled away from Hal. Green eyes fell to the ground.

"I can't sit by and let you blame him." Kyle argued. "It's not fair. He's just one man."

Guilt spiked as Hal considered what Kyle had to say. And being outside, away from the conversation, he could see where he was wrong. Hands softly rested on Kyle's shoulders.

"I'm sorry." Hal apologized. "I'm just angry. And worried. It's just that they were so close to getting something, only for something to go array."

Kyle was about to respond, half willing to take Hal's apology, when a burst of yellow smashed the ground in front of them, startling the crowd that was there. Hal was able to protect Kyle from the blast, but its origin bothered him. Looking up, he was able to identify the culprit. Clad in black and yellow was an all too unfriendly figure.

"So you thought you could get away from me, did you?" Sinestro inquired.

"I was beginning to wonder why I haven't seen you." Sinestro sarcastically stated. "Did you really think I wouldn't find you if you hid on your home planet?"

Hal didn't respond, keeping a firm grip on Kyle. Hal was concerned about Kyle and the Korugaran floating above them. Having Sinestro here only made the situation more stressful.

"Admittedly, I am not here because of you." Sinestro stated. "I sensed great fear recently, and went looking for it. So imagine my surprise when I find, not one, but two Green Lanterns at the source."

Sinestro scanned the two, trying to identify the one he was sensing. After a few moments, he rested his sights on Kyle. He landed in front of them, leaning towards the younger Lantern.

"What's troubling you Torchbearer?" Sinestro inquired.

Hal shoved Kyle behind him, noting Kyle's discomfort and not particularly liking the attention he was getting. Even if Hal speculated that Kyle was probably the cause of Sinestro's appearance, he didn't want to subject Kyle to that. Though, he couldn't deny that Kyle's fear and anxiety did bring unwanted attention. Hal's gesture attracted its own attention.

"Is something the matter Hal?" Sinestro snidely asked. "I was only asking a question."

"Yeah, well I don't like where it was going." Hal coldly replied.

"It was going nowhere. Why don't you let him speak?"

Kyle's mouth opened, but nothing came out. He was stuck between not wanting to answer and knowing he shouldn't. He also knew he wouldn't get far if he tried. There was no way Hal would let Kyle play along with Sinestro's ploy.

"Because I know what you're after." Hal stated. "You want to use his problems against him."

"So he is the source of the fear?"

Hal regretted saying that, but tried to scoff it off like it was nothing. Sinestro's tone wasn't exactly uncertain, so it wasn't like his response was unexpected. He sounding as though he already had a feeling that it was Kyle.

"Like you didn't already know." Hal argued.

Sinestro chuckled. He wasn't surprised by Hal's outburst, expecting it. Sinestro straightened his posture, folding his arms.

"Then why don't we cut to the chase?" Sinestro decided. "Hand him over."

Hal's anger flared. There was no way he was going to let that happen.

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged."

Hal glanced at Kyle.

"Run." Hal demanded.

"I am not leaving you here." Kyle argued.

"You're at risk. Your safety is my primary objective, and I won't risk it by having you stay here."

Kyle was grabbed and thrown against a tree. The wind was knocked out of him on impact. Kyle fell onto his knees as Hal looked at the one who threw Kyle like a rag doll. Sinestro grinned, pleased with his attack.

"I'm more inclined to agree with the boy." Sinestro stated.

Activating his ring, along with letting it construct his uniform, Hal bolted towards Sinestro. He wasn't about to let Sinestro get away with doing that. A green fist hit Sinestro in the face. Sinestro retaliated with a hit of his own. Their battle was even with both sides standing their ground. At least for a time. Sinestro would grab Hal in a construct and smack him against the ground several times against the street until Hal fell unconscious, deactivating his ring in the process. Hal was down for the count. Kyle activated his ring and went after Sinestro in a blind rage. He hit Sinestro with a truckyl. He was quickly responded with jabbed in the stomach. What followed was powerful and due to a lack of activity. Sinestro beat Kyle around, throwing him around before Kyle even had the chance to counter. The final straw was when Kyle was slammed against a car.

"Let's get a look at what all the fuss is about." Sinestro decreed as Kyle lost consciousness.

~

Kyle woke up surrounded to find a yellow bubble encasing him. He was confused, unsure of what was going on and where he was. Kyle tried to move, but it felt like a weight was pressing down on his body. The last thing he could remember was trying to fight Sinestro.

"I don't understand how humans can go so cruel." A voice stated. "They can be so manipulative and cruel to poison and take advantage of someone."

Kyle managed to move his head to see who was talking. To his surprise, it was Sinestro. Sinestro was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, observing Kyle's ring, which he had taken off of the younger Lantern while he was unconscious. At the same time, he was using his ring to encase Kyle and was staring at the Green Lantern with curious intentions. Kyle was stunned, not liking what his presence could have meant.

"I was able to pull an interesting memory out of you." Sinestro stated, clearing up some of the confusion as he stood up and approached the prison. "Someone hurt you Torchbearer. Violated you in fact."

"Let me go." Kyle demanded, trying to ignore Sinestro's correct observation.

Sinestro released Kyle, allowing him to stand. He grabbed Kyle's neck, making sure that Kyle didn't leave. Kyle glared at him with disdain.

"I don't know if I should pity you or laugh." Sinestro commented. "However, what he did was despicable and I hate people who take advantage of others in a vulnerable state. So the former is more suitable. That being said, your fear and resentment for it can be beneficial."

"I won't join your club if that's what you're implying." Kyle scoffed.

"Of course not. Though I wouldn't be too opposed to it." Sinestro accepted. "However, I'd much rather use you as an outlet to torment Hal. After all, he's been spending so much time with you. Imagine how he'd feel knowing that he couldn't stop me from using your harbored fear to torture you. And when I've drained you of all that fear, maybe I'll spare you by ending your life. Or maybe, I'll find new fears to abuse and keep you as entertainment."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal makes a decision and a new face enters the quest for Kyle's submission.

Hal slowly started to regain consciousness, taking a moment to realize that he was in bed. Above him was Bruce, leaning over him concerned. Hal quickly sat up, recalling what was going on. He wasn't in his Green Lantern uniform, which was a relief, but he knew something was missing. Hal started to panic as he scanned around for Kyle. When he unable to visually locate him, Hal was anxious.

"Calm down." Bruce gently requested, kneeling beside Hal. "You might have a concussion."

"Where's Kyle?" Hal frantically asked.

Bruce took a deep breath. He knew what happened, but finding the right words was going to be a challenge. Bruce knew he had to be delicate.

"When Jason and I got outside, you were unconscious in a crater in the street." Bruce began. "Above you was Sinestro, and what he had in his possession isn't exactly good." Bruce could feel Hal begin to tense up. "Kyle was in a yellow bubble that Sinestro crafted." Bruce gave him a cold stare. "Sinestro left with Kyle."

Hal was floored by Bruce's description. Anger and regret rose at the thought of Kyle getting taken, who, undoubtedly, tried to fight back. And he wasn't even conscious when it happened, making Hal unable to stop it. Hal tried to stand up, only for Bruce to hold him down.

"Let me go." Hal weakly growled. "I can't leave him with Sinestro. I got to save Kyle."

"You need to regain your strength." Bruce stated.

Hal continued to squirm, hoping to get away from Bruce. Even if Bruce was right, he couldn't think about himself. His health wasn't his priority.

"No. Kyle's out there, getting tortured no doubt." A hand shot over his eyes as self loathing settled. "And it's my fault this happened!"

The outburst startled Bruce. Hal was livid. Guilt and regret filled him as his hand shrouded his eyes. Kyle was gone, and as far as Hal was concerned, it was his fault. If he hadn't yelled at Bruce, Kyle might have still been there. Bruce's grip tightened, causing Hal to flinch.

"You're fault or not, you can still save him." Bruce lectured. "You may have gotten a bit angry and freaked him out, but neither one of you could have expected this." Bruce's expression softened some. "I know you care for him, so I know you won't let him go through this alone."

Bruce got through to Hal this time as his eyes softened. He was well aware that he was still wearing his ring. Hal slowly lifted it up, activated only his ring.

"Contact Guy Gardner and John Stewart." Hal requested.

On command it pulled up a hologram of both Green Lanterns. Both appeared a little confused by the call. It was clear that neither was expecting it, but HAl knew they would understand it once he explained.

"What's going on?" John frantically asked. "Sinestro and Atrocitus were sensed heading near Earth."

Hal took a breath swallowing his pride. He knew he needed the help. Kyle needed the help.

"We've got a problem." Hal admitted. "I'm going to need some help and Saint Walker."

~

A boom interrupted Sinestro's torture of Kyle. The dark haired Green Lantern was scrapped up and mentally exhausted, but was glad for a reprieve. Sinestro to shift his attention to see who was disrupting him, and he was rather disturbed by the sight. Atrocitus,along with his blue tinted feline partner entered the base, clearly intent on something.

"I've already told you to back off Sinestro." Atrocitus claimed, storming into the room. "This Lantern is mine. His rage and trauma make him a suitable Red Lantern."

"Yes, that's what you told me the last time we met," Sinestro recalled, "but I've already claimed him as my pawn."

Atrocitus continued to approach them. He eyed Kyle with malicious intrigue. It was uncomfortable and distressing, and Kyle could only wonder what he was planning.

"And if anyone should torture him, it should be me." Atrocitus stated. "It will make his reprograming much more successful."

"But as Hal's protege, I am the better fit for such action." Sinestro deduced.

"And has been a partner of Guy's, who has caused me quite the disturbance."

Kyle broke out of Sinestro's grip, summoning his ring to him and activated it. Green tinted eyes angrily glared at Sinestro and Atrocitus. He was tired of the arguing. The unwarranted attention.

"I refuse to stand by and let you dictate my life." Kyle argued. "I'm not a Red Lantern, nor do I want to be your pawn."

The debating Lantern leaders glanced at him. A yellow apparition hit Kyle, sending him flying. He landed on the ground hard, and as he looked at Sinestro and Atrocitus, he noticed their antagonistic gazes.

"Let the adults handle this." Sinestro lectured.

Sinestro turned his attention back to Atrocitus. He wasn't about to let him get away with interrupting his fun and thinking he could make demands. But sound of a group of feet landing on the ground distracted them. Walking into the base was John, Guy, Kilowag, Saint Walker, and Batman all lead by Hal.

"How about I take Kyle off your hands." Hal suggested.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Hal and Sinestro fight, things go array as things get worse for Kyle.

The sight of Atrocitus and Sinestro in the same room was disheartening. And with Kyle pinned, it wasn't easing any of the rescue team. 

"Let him go Sinestro." Hal demanded.

"That I cannot do Jordan." Sinestro decided. "You've lost the right to have him." Sinestro quickly shifted his attention back to Atrocitus. "Just as you never got the chance to steal him."

Hal's anger spiked. The last thing he wanted to hear was Sinestro trying to claim Kyle. Or that Atrocitus seemed to have the same idea.

"I said let him go."

Hal soared towards the two Lanterns, ready to take them both on. However, it was Sinestro who took up the challenge. He threw Kyle aside, releasing him for the time being. Sinestro was going to enjoy this fight.

Attentions bpunced between Hal's fight and Kyle. it would get focus more on Kyle as he began shuffling and the attention that fell on him. Atrocitus took the opportunity to go for Kyle. The way he stomped towards the younger Lantern was unsettling and problematic.

"I've got this." Guy decided, flying for the Red Lanterns' leader.

"Guy no!" John gasped.

Guy ignored him, throwing a giant green fist at Atrocitus. It hit him hard, and gave Kyle some relief, but it didn't keep Atrocitus down for long. He looked at Guy with angered annoyance.

"You're not getting anywhere near him." Guy refused

Atrocitus quickly retaliated, decking Guy with a powerful punch. John jumped in the ray, willing to do whatever he could to divert the attention away from Kyle. Atrocitus responded with a quick attack. Guy got back up and was about to retaliate when Atrocitus threw John at him. The force was enough to knock them back and subdue them for now. 

Atrocitus returned his attention to a panicked Kyle. With his ring behind Atrocitus, Kyle knew there was no way to get it without Atroctus getting to him first. He tried to run, but Atrocitus grabbed him. Kyle was able to squirm away, but was quickly slammed against the wall. One hand held Kyle against the wall.

"Let me go." Kyle ordered.

"You're rage compels me young one." Atrositus admitted. "The desire for this to be over needing that extra push. You'll be a suitable Red Lantern."

Atrocitus grabbed Kyle's hand as he summoned a ring he brought with him. In a panic, Kyle tried to pull his hand out of his grip, but Atrocitus wasted no time forcing the ring on him. The ring acted instantly as it engulfed him in a red aura. 

Batman was about to run towards Lanterns when Saint Walker stepped in front of him. Batman glared at the Blue Lantern, which surprisingly didn't detour the man. He wasn't going to let Batman through.

"My apologies," Saint Walker apologized, "but you are not properly equipped to fight Atroctus."

"Did you see what's happening?" Batman observed.

"What do you think I'm here for? I will heal Guy and John and restart Kyle's heart."

The red energy dimmed down, exposing the transformation it created. A red and black uniform was latched onto Kyle and a red mask resembling his original was glued to his face. A pained scream drew everyone's attention to him as Atrocitus grinned with malicious pride.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyle fights his allies in a blind Red Lantern induced rage, but all is not lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize of the end isn't that good.

Kyle's focus fell mostly on Atrocitus. He lunged for the Red Lantern, too upset to proclaim his hatred for what he did, but was quickly stopped when Atrocitus punched him in the stomach and grabbed his throat.

"I like your spirit," Atrocitus stated, "but I am not your enemy." He forced Kyle to look at the other Lanterns and Batman. "They are."

He threw him towards them, forcing his blind rage to focus on them. His focus locked onto Batman, only for John to stop him with a green ropelike construct. John tried to restrain him while Guy tried to approach him.

"It's okay." Guy tried to comfort. "We're here to help."

Kyle seemed to freeze for a moment, but quickly changed tune as he ripped out of his restraints and went for Guy. Guy smacked Kyle with a construct to defend himself. He knew he had to do it, but that didn't mean he enjoyed hurting Kyle. Kyle got up enraged.

"Come on buddy." Guy called. "It's us."

Unable to watch the fight any longer, Batman ran towards the battle. He threw a Baterang, which was enough to distract Kyle. Unfortunately, that also directed his rage towards the Dark Knight.

With Sinestro now unconscious, Hal hovered over Kyle with a giant hand construct firmly holding the forced Red Lantern in place. He landed on the ground a fair distance from Kyle.

"Take care of Atrocitus." Hal demanded.

Both Guy and John nodded. They targeted Atrocitus, who was less than impressed by the assault. But he accepted the offer to fight two high ranking Green Lanterns. All the while, Hall would a

"Kyle, it's me." Hal called out. "

Kyle growled, ignoring Hal's words, as he squirmed around in the construct. He was confident that he could break it, but it was clear that Hal wouldn't allow it. But what angered him more was the fact that Hal's refusal to fight him.

"Let me go and fight." Kyle growled, finally mustering up something to say.

"No." Hal argued. "I'm not going to fight you like this. You're angry and confused, and I won't hurt you."

Kyle spat napalm at Hal, which was enough to stun Hal and release the new Red Lantern. Once Hal regained his composure, he was punched by Kyle. This unfortunately meant that Hal would have to fight Kyle until he was able to restrain him again.

Kyle wasn't going to make it easy as he attacked Hal without hesitation or signs of tiring out. It caused Hal to have to physically fight him, while avoiding his Red Lantern powers, until an opening presented itself. By doing so, Hal could tell when Kyle's fighting started to get sloppy. And when a sizable enough opening presented itself, Hal slammed Kyle against the wall again. This time with a

"Kyle please." Hal begged. "I don't want to fight you."

"I don't care." Kyle yelled. "You let this happen to me."

That stung. Partially because he knew that it was true. This wouldn't have happened if Hal hadn't exploded. Hal slowly released Kyle as his guilt began to settle in.

But before he could go for another round, Kyle gasped, causing his and Hal's fell on who was beside him. Batman was standing by Kyle, poking him with a sedative. The needle dug into Kyle's neck, standing there long enough to administer the sedative. It didn't take long for it to take effect, and with Kyle losing because of it, Batman grabbed him.

With the Lantern now unconscious and back in his regular clothes, Batman lied Kyle on the ground and knelt beside him. Saint Walker was the first to approach him with Guy and John not too far behind. The first thing Saint Walker did was pull the ring off and swiftly used his ring to undue the damage to Kyle's heart. And once a pulse was maintained, he began to heal Kyle as Guy anxiously watched. Guy was concerned about Kyle. It had been a rough few days for Kyle from what Guy heard. How his troubles got this far was a horrible thought, and having Atrocitus profit off of it was worse.

As Saint Walker continued to work, Kyle's wounds progressively healed, slowly disappearing. It was a wonder, one that Batman had never seen before. When everything was gone, Kyle flinched. He slowly started to open his eyes. He scanned his surroundings, trying to regroup his thoughts. He saw Guy, smiling while sighing with relief. He recognized Saint Walker and Batman too. If anything, Kyle was a little confusing since the last thing he remembered was Hal's voice talking to him.

"What's going on?" Kyle groggily sighed.

"It's okay." Guy sighed, helping Kyle sit up. "You were our little Red Lantern for a bit, but you're okay now." Guy scanned the area for a second. "Hal called us and explained, and we came to rescue you."

Kyle turned his head to look at Hal. who seemed nervous. Kyle softly grinned, silently requesting for Hal comes closer. John nudged Hal, signalling for him to get closer. Hal caved, approaching the group. Once he was close, he knelt down beside him.

"I'm sorry." Hal apologized, placing Kyle's ring in his pocket.

"It's not you're fault." Kyle forgave. "I should apologize. I shouldn't have stormed out like that."

"It doesn't matter now." Batman stated. "You're safe, and that's all that matters."

Accepting the Dark Knight's statement, Kyle passed out, exhausted from the sedative and the removal of the ring. Hal picked up the unconscious Lantern, wanting to be the one to handle him. With the two opposing Lanterns down for the count, there was only one thing on his mind.

"Let's go home." Hal requested.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Kyle now in the clear, Hal offers what he can as things finally come to a close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I looked up a few ideas as far as jail time for what Bueno did, and since I did include two unnamed people, who spoke up, I applied the years correctly (I hope).

Hal, John, and Guy guided Kyle back to Oa to meet up with the Guardians about what had happened and to request that Kyle gets more time off. Kyle had regained consciousness and requested to fly on his own. Hal allowed it, but held onto Kyle's arm out of subconscious anxiety. He lost Kyle once, he wasn't about to again. Along the way, Saint Walker left after bidding his farewells and well wishes, taking Batman back to Earth before going home. Batman was glad to have Kyle back, but did mention he would get in touch with them later.

~

They landed on Oa without issue and reported to the Guardians. They were glad to hear that Atrocitus and Sinestro were dealt with and that Kyle was safe. Ranakar, however, didn't leave it at that, demanding that Hal and Kyle return to the Corps. it infuriated everyone in the room. Guy loudly argued that Kyle should stay home after what he went through, along with finishing up what was left of his festering issues. John argued that the last thing Kyle needed was to be thrown into the battlefield so soon. Kilowag voiced his agreement with the two Lanterns, and Hal was livid.

It took an interruption from Ganthet to calm everyone down. He agreed with the Lanterns, believing that Kyle needed time to let everything sink in. His capture and emotional temperament needed to be attended to. Ranakar scoffed at his argument annoyed by his fellow Guardian's constant defense towards the Earth Lanterns, Kyle especially. However, he had to accept Ganthet's argument and allow it.

The Lanterns were dismissed, and they went on their way. Kilowag retreated to his quarters and John reported to the training hall. Guy gave Kyle a bear hug. He spouted words of encouragement and told Kyle he was glad that he was okay. Guy was willing to admit that he missed having Kyle around, but wanted him to get better. Kyle thanked Guy before he finally let him go.

Guy left Hal and Kyle alone, going off to take care of some business. Kyle seemed at ease with the care that everyone was so caring. He appreciated their attentiveness, even if it was a little overwhelming. Hal placed a hand on Kyle's shoulder, stealing Kyle's attention. Hal was calm, giving Kyle a pleasant smile.

"You ready to go home?" Hal asked.

"Yeah." Kyle sighed.

~

While not physically involved, Hal and Kyle survey the case closely. Two new victims came out, providing fuel for the case against Bueno Excellente. As tragic as all of it was, Hal was glad that justice was able to be served. He knew Kyle couldn't handle. Not because he was weak, far from it, but because they both knew he couldn't handle the stress on top of everything else he recently went through. 

The were welcomed to stay in a safe house in Gotham so they could keep an eye on the case, as they probably wouldn't have gotten coverage of it in Coast City. They accepted, wanting to finally close this traumatic chapter of Kyle's life. They didn't watch it much of the trial itself, wanting to tour parts of Gotham and so that Kyle wouldn't get too shaken by it, but Bruce kept them in the loop during the course of the trial. However, when it came to sentencing, they were glued to the television. 

It was amazing to hear a guilty verdict towards the man, with Kyle feeling the most relieved. With him sentenced to thirteen years in prison for each victim, Kyle anonymously included, giving him a total of thirty six years for his crimes. It was a well appreciated decision.

"Where do we go from here?" Kyle asked.

"You can start getting back on your feet." Hal suggested. "Let the weight of all this off of you're shoulders and move forward."

Kyle's shoulders dropped. As much as he wanted the thought, he liked being with Hal. The thought of leaving him felt so foreign. Hal noted this, feeling bad for how he worded his answer. While well intended, it must have sounded stand offish. Hal wrapped his arms around Kyle's shoulders, grabbing the younger Lantern's attention.

"Why don't you stay with me until you feel ready to get there?" Hal recommended. "You'll be a lot freer as far as what you can do, and I'll be there for whatever you need."

~

The doors of Hal's house opened up. It was Kyle carrying several suitcases worth of essentials. Hal invited Kyle in, offering him the guest room. Kyle had spent a few nights at his apartment before deciding to take up Hal's offer to stay with him for a while. He wanted to be closer to people, a little afraid to be alone for the time being. Kyle entered the room without haste, getting himself settled. It hadn't changed in the slightest since he was last there.

Once he got settled, he exited the room and entered the kitchen. Hal was there waiting for him with lunch. They would both take a seat and Kyle graciously looking stare.

"Thank you." Kyle sighed.

"Anything for you, bud." Hal replied, lightly punching Kyle's shoulder. "Would you like to go to the airbase after lunch? I don't think I've every offered you an official tour.

"Yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I did okay with this (and hopefully better than the original). I would like to write more Hal and Kyle stuff in the future, not about this topic specifically, but something with them.


End file.
